flanders



UNITED STATES PATENT fFFIOE.

J. F. FLANDERS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND E. Gr.ALLEN,

OF SAME PLACE. Y

LEATHER-SPLITTING MACHINE.

Specication of LettersV Patent No. 29,649, dated August 14, 1860.

To all fwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J. F. FLANDERS, of Boston, in the county of Suffolkand State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Leather-Splitting Machines, and that the followingdescription, taken in connection wit-li the accompanying drawings,hereinafter referred to, forms a full and exact specification of my saidimprovements by which my invention may be distinguished from all othersof a similar class, together with such parts as I claim and desire tohave secured to me by Letters Patent.

The figures of the accompanying plate of drawings represent myimprovements.

Figure l is a plan or top view of my improved machine. Fig. 2 is a frontelevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a central transverse vertical section.Figs. at and 5 are detail views to be hereinafter referred to.

In machines for splitting leather, &.c., it has been found extremelydifficult on account of the varying thicknesses of the hide to cut orsplit the grain of uniform thickness throughout, the tendency to form anirregular cut being increased by the weight of the split which drags theleather downward from the knife.

The essential feature of my invention consists in a novel arrangement ofdevices whereby these objections are entirely obviated, the uniformityof the thickness of the grain being invariably secured whatever may bethe inequalities of the leather to be split. The desired result iseffected by the use of a sectional roll consisting of rings hung looselyupon a shaft immediately under the leather and made to have an upwardbearing thereon by means of an indiarubber roll or other suitableelastic bearing that presses upward against the rings. This arrangementconstitutes in effect an elastic bearing to the leather consisting of aseries of separate and independent springs that possess all thenecessary elastic force and yet are remarkably free to play, much moreso than any ordinary arrangement of springs thereby affording a yieldingand elastic bearing to every inequality or indentation of the leatherand one that is peculiarly sensitive thereto.

Another important feature of the present invention consists in anarrangement of devices whereby the leather whatever its shape orcondition is presented perfectly straight to the knife or cutter. Thisis very essential to the successful operation of the machine as theflanks, shanks and the thinner portions of a hide from being 'longerthan the others necessarily get cockled up and it is important thatthese wrinkles should be first drawn out otherwise the leather will notbe fed in a straight line to the knife. To control and guide the leatherso that `it shall be properly carried to the knife I use a brakeapparatus that binds and holds the thick portions of the hide and allowsthe thin portions to pass freely until the wrinkles are drawn out by theaction of the feeding rolls.

Having thus described the .general features of my invention I will nextproceed to describe the manner in which they can be practically carriedout.

a a a a in the drawings represent the supporting framework of aleather-splitting machine. The knife or cutter may consist of an endlessbelt or band Z; b formed of any thin suitable metal. This belt issupported and revolved by two pulleys c, d, the pulley Z receiving itsmotion from the driving shaft through the gears e and The rear edge ofthe knife rests against flanges on the pulleys c and d. The knife b iskept in true position both horizontally and vertically by an upper andlower guide g-L. These guides may be made adjustable. The knife b b iskept constantly sharp by two revolving wheels /c one bearing upon theupper and the other upon the under edge of the knife and revolved bybelts Z, m on a pulley n rotated by bevel gears 0, p.

g-Q is the leather fed in between the rolls r r fastened together andoperated so as to bring any desired pressure or bite upon the leather bymeans of a treadle s 8. By this means the brake will bear upon and holdback the thick portions of the leather until the wrinkled or thin partshave been drawn smooth, thereby presenting the leather straight to theknife.

z5 t is a small gage-roll that bears upon the upper surface of theleather as shown. rlhis roll is driven through the gears u, o, w, y. Itis important that the gage-roll should be of small diameter in order tofirmly hold the leather close to the cutting edge of the knife and inorder to prevent Y the action of the rubber roll ZZ upon this roll fromspringing as from its small size, it is very liable to do, I place overit a larger roll a Which bears down upon the gage-roll and keeps it inplace. Upon. the under side of the leather is a sectional rollconsisting of a series of separate and independent rings 5 &c., ofconsiderable larger inside diameter than the shaft c upon Which they arehung. The sectional rings rest upon a rubber roll d that is revolvedthrough the gears u', v, fw', ai y, z. Ily t e rings b b, Sac., it willbe seen that every portion of the hide Whatever may be its thickness orirregularity Will be uniformly pressed and kept up against thegage-roll. By this means the uniformity of the thickness ofthe grain iseffectually secured.

e and f are bars one laced before and the other behind the sectionalrings and so placed and formed as to limit the lateral and upward motionof the rings b, Zi', &c., but they are left free to be pressed down, bythe action of the leather, upon the elastic roll. Although the sectionalroll may be placed directly over the elastic roll, I prefer to place ita little on one side of the vertical aXis thereof, as When placeddirectly in the same Vertical line the rings by the motion of the rubberroll have a tendency to crowd back and then to snap forcibly backagainst the leather Which prevents the cut from being uniform. Theelastic roll may be made adjustable With regard to its position With therings.

It Will be seen that there are variety of modes in Which an elasticbearing can be 0btained for the rings of the sectional roll, thus, asshovvn in Fig. 5, the rings instead of bearing upon the rubber roll, maybear upon an endless elastic apron or belt running around pulleys g, g.y

Having thus described my improvements, what I claim as my invention anddesire to have secured to me by Letters Patent isd l. The arrangement ofsectional rollers for the direct or immediate support of the hide orleather as the delivery of the same to the edge of the circulatingknife, in combination With a roller located beloW the sectional rollerand constructed as described With elastic surface and Xed bearings.

2. Placing the sectional roll to one side of the vertical axis of theelastic roll as described.

3. Holding the leather and controlling its progress While passingthrough the machine by means of a brake operating substantially asdescribed.

J. F. FLANDERS.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH GAVETT, A. WV. BROWN.

